After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 19

Suddenly, Shen Shuheng’s heart beat frantically against her ribs, each thud heavier than the last, like sudden raindrops hitting the ground in a dense downpour. She could feel her heart repeatedly striking the hand her Master had placed over her chest. For some reason, her face flushed hot, and a crimson hue climbed up her fair skin.

Master’s hand was still resting over her heart. She was just about to take a step back when—

“Host, do not deviate from the persona! You must remember at all times that you are a paranoiac. You must be crazy for your Master, wild for your Master!” The System grew irritated at Shen Shuheng’s timid display. “Move forward! No retreating! You need to show a bit more arrogance!” the System schemed for her.

Shen Shuheng suppressed the various strange emotions in her heart. She tilted her head up and stared directly into her Master’s eyes. “If others were to ask Master this in the future, would Master answer them the same way? Or will you only be like this with A-Heng?”

“Master cannot be this patient with others. You can only be this way with me alone,” Shen Shuheng said, sounding righteous on the surface while her heart was in absolute chaos.

This was the first time she had ever felt the urge to look away from those clearly defined black-and-white eyes. Thump-thump-thump-thump. Her heart beat even faster; she could clearly hear the sound of it. Her breathing grew shallow and hurried as her heart seemed intent on leaping out of her body and into her Master’s presence to show her exactly how fast it was racing for her.

A smile spread across Fu Xueke’s lips. She met Shen Shuheng’s gaze directly, seeing a thin mist of moisture gathering in her disciple’s eyes. This display of blustering bravado reminded her of a fluffy little animal waving its soft paws, thinking it looked incredibly fierce.

“It is beating very fast,” Fu Xueke remarked.

Shen Shuheng’s face turned bright red as she stared intently at her Master. “Does Master know why? Why it beats so fast?”

As Fu Xueke gave a faint smile, it looked like the morning sun breaking through the mist on a spring mountain. This smile only served to further agitate Shen Shuheng’s already panicked mind.

“You will understand soon.”

Fu Xueke’s voice was extremely soft. Since Shen Shuheng was still immersed in the beauty of her Master’s smile, she didn’t hear the words clearly.

Summoning her courage, Shen Shuheng also placed her hand over her Master’s heart. Her Master’s heartbeat was just like her personality, calm and steady, showing no ripples of emotion. At this thought, Shen Shuheng felt as though her heart had stepped into thin air, and a sense of loss washed over her. She lowered her gaze, her curled lashes hiding the moisture in her eyes. “Why is Master’s heart still the same as always?”

“Will there be a day when Master’s heart beats like A-Heng’s?”

“There will,” Shen Shuheng heard her Master say.

She looked at her Master with a look of madness. “If that happens, it can only be because of A-Heng. If Master is like this for someone else, A-Heng will kill that person.” Her eyes shimmered, and the corners were tinged with red.

Fu Xueke rested her hand on Shen Shuheng’s head and rubbed it gently, as if smoothing down her fur. The icy solitude in her eyes melted away completely, replaced by a gentle spring breeze. “It won’t be anyone else,” Fu Xueke whispered in a voice only she could hear.

Her Master’s hand continued to stroke her head. Shen Shuheng loved it when her Master rubbed her head; she couldn’t help but lean closer, surrounded by that clear, cold fragrance. She instinctively pressed her face into her Master’s embrace, the cool, smooth sensation of the robes carrying her Master’s scent. The earlier disappointment vanished, and she truly wished she could stay in her Master’s arms forever.

“Alright, we should go. A-Heng,” Fu Xueke’s cool voice rang out, like a cold spring flowing over mountain stones.

Shen Shuheng released her hold on her Master and stood straight. “Alright,” she nodded obediently.

“Wait!” a demon shouted.

“What is it?” Shen Shuheng asked.

The demon scratched the back of his head. “There are many treasures in the City Lord’s mansion. Many are ancestral treasures of our race, while others were plundered by him. You have been kind to our people. Take whatever you want from inside. Please, follow me.”

“Keep them; you will need them soon,” Fu Xueke declined their kindness. “What do you plan to do in the future?” she asked.

“We will become the masters of this city once again, providing a refuge for the wandering and bullied little demons out there.” He clenched his fist, his eyes full of hatred. “A thousand years ago, the Demon Lord sacrificed her own life to suppress evil and save all living beings. After we lost our leader, we were bullied at will. Our ancestral lands were seized, and the humans came to view us as lowly creatures.”

Humans, demons, and the Demon Race were all born of heaven and earth, parts of the same world. There should be no distinction of high or low; why should the Demon Race be called “lowly”?

Fu Xueke handed him a small sword carved from peach wood. “I have sealed several strands of sword qi inside. Someone will surely come to attack the city in the future.”

“Such great kindness cannot be repaid,” the demon said, kneeling to express his gratitude.

Fu Xueke used her spiritual energy to prevent him from kneeling. “A thousand years ago, the Demon Lord sacrificed herself for all beings. The world owes her a debt of gratitude. As her clansmen, it is only right that it be repaid to you.”

If the people of the world were like Fu Xueke, the Demon Race would never have fallen to the status of slaves. But human greed is infinite and can never be satisfied.

Because demons can inherit ancestral memories through their bloodline, they remembered clearly how the Demon Lord sacrificed herself to save the world, and how the humans took advantage of the situation to invade their homes and force them into slavery. Every time they thought of this, the fire of hatred burned hotter. They wished they could feast on human flesh and drink their blood.

Fu Xueke led Shen Shuheng away and called for the other disciples to prepare for departure. All the disciples were present, except for Gu Mian.

“Where is Gu Mian?” Shen Shuheng asked Chu Qingshui.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen her. Let’s wait a bit; the teleportation array is fast, so a moment won’t hurt,” Chu Qingshui replied.

“True, waiting a little longer won’t delay us much,” Shen Shuheng said, standing by Fu Xueke’s side.

After Shen Shuheng and Fu Xueke left the hall, Gu Mian arrived. The Great Demon stepped forward joyfully. “Young Master, you truly have the foresight of a god. Everything is proceeding exactly as you predicted.”

“After we leaked the news to Nie Xing of the Demon Race, he indeed went to find the Yuheng group. Then, they truly came to this city and killed the City Lord.”

Gu Mian did not share his joy. She looked at Yao Yao’s body with pity. “Why did she choose this? In our plan, we left a path of survival for her.”

“This… this was Yao Yao’s own choice. She was willing to die for Yun Wan. Only, she never expected that Yun Wan would commit suicide for her sake.”

The pale light fell on Gu Mian’s face, her lowered lashes casting a small shadow. She coughed slightly. “Clean up their bodies and bury them together.” She retracted her gaze, the pity in her eyes replaced by indifference. “It is time for them to pay back what they owe us.”

“We have finally waited for this day,” the Great Demon said, trembling with excitement. The Demon Race finally had a chance for revenge.

Gu Mian produced a blood-red jade disk covered in complex golden runes; staring at the runes for too long gave a sensation of vertigo. “This is an array disk. Place it in the city. If any outsiders arrive, you can activate the array to slaughter them,” she said, handing it to the demon.

The demon held the disk in his palms with a fanatical look in his eyes. “The seals on the demons in our city have been broken, but what about our clansmen outside?” he asked.

Gu Mian took another array disk from her storage bag, this one glowing with an eerie green light. “The contracts on them are different from yours, but I have found a way to break them.” She placed the disk on the table.

Her gaze was heavy, her emotions unreadable. “If any demons come to join you in the future, keep a sharp eye out. It has been a thousand years; the bones of some demons have long since been ground soft.”

The demon bowed to her. “Yes, your subordinate understands.”

Gu Mian nodded. “I’m going now. ‘Tian Zaishui’ will send some supplies to you in due time. You must practice hard.”

“Your subordinate and our clansmen will not disappoint your expectations, Young Master,” the demon said earnestly.

Having learned what happened a thousand years ago, Shen Shuheng was still curious about certain things. “Master, what happened a thousand years ago that forced the Demon Lord to sacrifice herself to save all beings?”

“The three races fought continuously, resulting in countless deaths. The resentment from these lost souls condensed into an ‘Evil Entity’ that could bewitch the human heart. It would consume a person’s soul bit by bit, turning them into a ‘Blood Corpse.’ If an ordinary person was bitten by one, they would be turned as well. Because of this, the world became a living hell.”

“So that’s how it was,” Shen Shuheng thought, her respect for the Demon Lord growing.

“But the Demon Lord saved the world, yet her clansmen met such a tragic end,” Shen Shuheng noted, her tone somewhat dejected as she thought of Yao Yao’s sacrifice.

“In the end, it is because of human greed. People want to seize what belongs to others, sparking wars. The creation of that Evil Entity is inseparable from their actions,” Shen Shuheng said angrily.

Fu Xueke lightly poked Shen Shuheng’s puffed-up cheek. “Indeed.”

Gu Mian walked back to the group. “Apologies for making you wait. I went into the city to pick up a few items just now.”

Chu Qingshui smiled at her. “It wasn’t long, just a moment.” Gu Mian took a jade-green hairpin from her robes and placed it in Chu Qingshui’s hand.

The group stepped into the teleportation array. A pale golden light flared up, dispelling the surrounding darkness. In an instant, they vanished and reappeared in Nanxi City, a vast distance away.

The moon hung high over the city, and the sounds of insects and frogs drifted into Shen Shuheng’s ears. A soothing spring breeze carrying the fragrance of blooming flowers greeted them. By the moonlight, Shen Shuheng saw the tranquility of the small city. The light fell on the bluestone paths as if the ground were covered in silver.

Shen Shuheng felt a pang of regret. Such a peaceful town would become a battlefield in a few days. All this tranquility would be crushed.